Key Summary
- Flu cases are increasing again
- Hospitals and ambulances are getting busier
- NHS urges vaccinations and care for vulnerable people
After a lull of two weeks, there has been a sudden surge in winter virus cases, and health secretary Wes Streeting has stated, “We are not out of the woods yet.”
According to the latest figures published by NHS England on Thursday (8), there has been a 9 percent rise in the number of patients in hospital beds with flu from previous week (2,924), following two consecutive weeks of decline in cases.
The average number of patients in hospital with Norovirus and Covid per day was also up on the previous week.
“It’s clear that the worst is far from over for the NHS this winter, with hospitals again experiencing a rise in patients admitted with flu and other respiratory virus cases last week,” said Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director.
There were more than 5,100 more ambulance handovers last week (101,177) than the same week last year.
Experts opine that the Christmas and New Year gatherings may have triggered the sudden spike in viral cases, along with the cold snap.
“The cold weather also means we are also seeing more vulnerable patients with respiratory problems in A&E and more injuries from slips and falls due to the icy conditions, so it remains an extremely busy time,” Professor Pandit added.
Streeting, said, “While the NHS is better prepared and performing more strongly than this time last year thanks to the tireless work of staff, the current cold snap is putting fresh pressure on frontline services.”
The NHS has so far administered over 18.6 million flu vaccines this season, half a million more than previous year.
The NHS will send reminders next week to the parents of children with specific health conditions to get their flu jabs from their local GPs.
